The Moth and The Flame
by ramble40
Summary: Aegnor has been given a choice to remain in the Halls of Mandos or return to the world. Choosing to live once more, we find him in modern day New York where he meets a young woman who he believes is Andreth reincarnated. Will he be able to reclaim what he turned away before? Will he live through losing her again? That is if she will give him the time of day. Rated for language.
1. Chapter 1

**~oOo~**

_Something moves beside him. A voice, soft words in the dark that wisp against his skin . . . if he had skin. It never ceases to amuse him how he can still hold on to the corporeal after all this time. But then time has no meaning here. Here there is no time, no substance. There is no pain. _

_Perhaps he continues to hold on to the idea of form in a vain attempt to continue to have some sort of feeling. To feel anything. But that is just not the case. Not here. Never again._

_The voice whispers near him again, soft and delicate, gentle touch from the nothing._

_It was silly for him to continue to think of himself as a being of matter. It is a foolish thing to hold on to and yet he could not stop himself. Perhaps out of habit. Perhaps out of stubbornness._

_**Stubborn**__, the voice caresses, __**like all your kin**__._

_Well, he supposed that was as good an answer as any._

_The wisp wound around him, almost like an embrace, if he could remember what that was like. He could almost imagine his physical form as it would recline back, his eyes closed. But he has no form. He has no eyes. For what did the dead need to see? He simply existed now. Shapeless. Formless. Much like the space in which he has chosen to exist. _

_And yet, there was something so familiar about the presence that moved about him, something so comforting. If only he could remember what comfort felt like. But he had forsaken such feelings a long time ago. They were meaningless without her after all._

_No! The memories! Always there, waiting. In the dark they implore, begging him to turn! Stars reflected in the water. Her face in the dim light. But he will not turn. Never again. He will never feel the pain again. But what is pain? Here there is no time, no substance. There is no pain. _

_He twists away from the force around him, but it does not recoil as he had hoped. He can feel the eyes are watching in case he loses himself again. Like a patient mother to her unruly child, it brushes against his being once more, surrounding him._

_**Aikanáro**__, the voice breathes, __**you have a choice before you**__._

* * *

><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

He stares out the window, the cool slate grey of the first morning light filling the sky.

It had been quite startling at first, returning after all those years, no, all those centuries. Hundreds of thousands of centuries. He was not sure it could really even be counted. The land was far different from what he remember of course. Námo had warned him that the world had much changed from when he had last held physical form. The dominion of man was upon the lands now and they would hold sway till the breaking.

Beleriand had been completely lost, along with so many other things. Replaced with the realm of middle earth which only faced its' own peril to be shaped and twisted and changed once more. His people had fled. Returning to the blessed lands across the sea. The few that remained disappearing into the shadows of lore or fading quietly away. Or perhaps some still held on for surely he could not be the only one.

He walked silently throughout the ages as this world turned. How curious men would become. There lust for conquest seemingly even more unquenchable as time continued on. Progress it was called. Progress. And he had progressed right along with them.

He swirled the hot liquid in his mug as he continued to look out the window lost in thought.

He had wandered for some time after his re-embodiment. He found that he could blend quite easily for one thing had not changed despite the long crawl of time, war still raged. Once all of the dark creatures and monsters had been driven out men, in their quest for power turned on each other. Waging wars over lands and religion, making the need for soldiers a constant through several lifetimes. And Aegnor was able to find a place throughout, all the while never truly finding peace. He served under Archelous I and Alexander the Great. He saw the fall of Troy and the battle of Thermopylae. He served under the rule of Hadrian and saw the rise of Christianity with Constantine. He followed the teachings of Faxian and witnessed the rule of the great Southern Dynasties of China.

It was sometime during his service to Philip III of France when he began to first feel it was an empty existence and although he had never been gifted with the foresight, he felt as if he could tell the future for every day was exactly the same.

There was a period of time when he found himself thinking more and more of ages past. And he began to wonder if perhaps there were others that roamed the world like him. It was during his time serving in the first Great War of men when he first began to believe there could be others. There was a cease fire, and as he sat huddled in the bitter cold down in the trenches, he heard it. A voice that rose up in sad song in the night. A clear voice. A strong voice. A beautiful voice, and when he heard it his startled eyes went wide and his own voice came out a hushed, shocked whisper.

"Makalaurë?"

The voice came to an immediate halt and the air seemed to become colder.

He began to question if he had made the right choice.

He could never return. That was a part of the choice laid before him. But he could fade, if he so wished. It would be simple enough to just let go. He would simply become one with the earth once more and become what he once was, formless and free from pain, from the gnawing loneliness that seemed to try to consume him from time to time. But what was the point? He would never see any of his family again, all having elected to become re-embodied and remain in Aman. And although all he felt throughout many of his days was loneliness and grief, at least he felt something. Only when even those feelings leave him would he begin to have some concern. But for now he would hold on to the pain. At least it was something.

He sighed and moved away from the window, his bare feet padding on the wood floors not even making a sound. He crossed the room and looked at himself in the mirror. He had been quite surprised to see his reflection again after so many years. Not much had changed. The old scars were gone of course, no burns. He winced and quickly pushed the memory from his mind. But they had been replaced with new scars. Minor ones that had accumulated from the many centuries of this new life. He had been reckless when he first returned. Plunging into battles with heedless abandon. But with the passage of time his temper had been . . . well, tempered somewhat as he settled into this new age.

He lived comfortably in the city. Having acquired many items and treasures through the years it seemed only logical that he would become a dealer in antiquities. There was no place for a soldier of his sort in this day and age, and this life style was far more peaceful anyway.

Aegnor set down his cup and walked to his bed room and began to dress. He preferred the casual style of today. Jeans and a clean black t-shirt, some work boots and a light jacket. He raked his fingers through his hair. He had kept it long in the early days, much as he had done in his youth. But now he kept it shorter. It was still long enough to curl over his ears in a shaggy sort of way, hanging loose about his face. He had to keep some length to conceal certain genetic traits. But in all, he preferred this shorter look. It was simple and easy to care for and helped him to blend. His hair tended to grow wild the longer it became and could be a bit conspicuous if he let it.

He walked out of the bed room and crossed back to the kitchen, picking up his coffee mug along the way and placing it in the sink. He gave another quick glance around the room as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

He had come to New York only recently, having spent most of his time in Europe and Asia. Europe had reminded him of Aman and so he spent the early years there. But as time wore on and mankind progressed and advanced, it began to become somewhat more difficult procuring a new identity when necessary. Changing continents made things slightly easier. This century it was the colonies turn.

He had to admit that he was quite fond of his little apartment in Soho. A two bedroom on King. He could afford something much bigger for he had acquired much wealth throughout the years and had become very adept at transferring it. But he preferred the smaller dwellings and it was not as if he frequently had company. It was a two minute walk to catch the express or the local and only a few blocks to the small antique shop he now did business with. But although it seemed to be working out well here, he did not think he would be staying for too long. His heart longed for the old countries. The Americas were just too new. He would more than likely stay only one century perhaps, maybe two.

He continued his walk onto Downing at a leisurely pace. He was meeting the shop owner Darshna. She had called him quite excited about some of the items he had brought in recently and had set up a meeting with some students from the department of anthropology from Columbia University to help her to estimate the value. Perhaps he would stop at Mazzas and get her an expresso.

The morning sun was bright when he finally approached the shop. The bell above the door rang out as he entered and Darshna looked up from the desk in the back of the shop and smiled.

"Agner," she called, "come! Come!" and waved him back.

He smiled in return and began to wind around the many tables and displays. He was known as Agner Aeluin here. He was from Norway. In this city, no one stood out.

As he drew closer to the table he saw that she was not alone. Two others were huddled around the table with her talking excitedly about the objects before them. He recognized them immediately as the items he had given to Darshna a few days prior. He smiled, these must be the students.

"Darshna," he says, offering the cup of expresso in greeting. "It is good to see you again so soon."

"Yes, yes," the little Indian woman answers grinning. She takes the cup with a little "ah!" in one hand and grabs his with the other. "Come, you have brought something very good! Very good! Very exciting."

He is still smiling as he allows her to pull him around the table. He liked Darshna. A friendly, kind woman with an open heart. He did not need to delve into her mind to know her purpose. In truth he did not need to delve into anyone's mind this day and age for this modern race of man runs around with minds open and buzzing. Most of the time he had to close his mind off to keep them from overrunning his thoughts with their own. And he could tell right now that she was quite excited.

As were the two other persons at the table. He spared them a quick glance. Two young women, one with light hair pulled back and the other with dark hair falling about her shoulders and onto the table as she leaned over to look at the pieces. He could not see the dark haired one's face but the lighter one was facing him as she spoke to her friend.

"What is this? Song dynasty? It's Song dynasty isn't it?! I knew it! And on this coin? Philip II! This must date back to what? 336 – 340 BC? I didn't even know this existed! And –"

The voice trailed off as he turned back to Darshna who was sipping at her cup.

"Mmm, good. You always bring the best. And perhaps even better this time yes? Quite a stir these pieces caused. May be a big collector for this, if they are real." Darshna grinned up at him.

"Why Darshna, what are you implying?" Aegnor replied playfully. "Have I ever led you astray before?"

"No no no! I never meant to say –"

Aegnor laughed and held up a hand to placate her concern. "Calm yourself Darshna, I jest."

Her relief was almost palpable. "Good, good," she smiled widely once more. "The pieces you brought could be quite valuable. If they are able to authenticate we could get much at an auction house. This could be very good."

Aegnor simply smiled and nodded. They were authentic of course. Given to him by the Emperor Qianfei himself. He was assassinated shortly after. Aegnor shook his hand at the memory. He was sick that one. He was pulled from his thoughts by Darshna who took him by the sleeve and called over to the table.

"Here. You will meet my little appraisers. They are going to help us, for a small fee of course," she said with a wink. Aegnor shook his head. Darshna would try to be as frugal as possible when it came to pay. He would have to make certain they were compensated properly.

"Girls, I would like to introduce you to the handsome owner of the items on the table. This is Mr. Aeluin."

Aegnor suppressed a grimace at Darshna's introduction as he turned to face the two young ladies at the table.

"This is Ms. Macey," the light haired one's mouth slowly became a little O as she looked up at Aegnor, "and this is . . . Ms. Bealor was it?" The dark haired gave a mumbled reply from where she remained hunched over the table, inspecting a small gold coin with a loupe magnifier.

"Oh, ah yeah, hey, hi," the blonde said, "Katherine. My name's Katherine." She gave Aegnor a lopsided and appraising grin. "And this is Andrea," when the other gave no response, Aegnor heard a thump from under the table and the dark head shot up with a shout, dropping the loupe.

"Hey! Yes! Hello. Nice to meet you." She cut her eyes at the fair one before looking at Aegnor. "Andrea." she said in greeting and then returned to her inspection of the coins.

"I was just telling Mr. Aeluin," Darshna began, "what you discovered about these pieces. That they could be very old and very profitable yes?"

"Yes Mrs. Patel they could be, but I really wish you would consider donating these to the school. This could be a very significant find. If you –"

"No no," Darshna interrupted, "we have been over this. Mr. Aeluin and I –"

"I am not sure you and Mr. Aeluin really understand what you have here. If I could –" Katherine interjected.

The small verbal battle between the two women trudged on, each one trying to top the other. But Aegnor did not notice. Aegnor could not move. His stomach had clenched and his heart pounded, causing a dull throbbing sound to drum in his ears.

Her eyes. Hazel eyes. Striking eyes. Eyes of blue green with a flash of brown in the center.

Andreth's eyes.

He could not speak. He could not hear. He could barely breathe. It was her! It had to be her! Standing before him, studying that small coin with the same intensity she had the many books he had given her those countless ages ago. Her face, the hair! It was all Andreth! But it couldn't be! Andreth was gone, long gone. Passed into whatever realm that mortal death takes. It could not be her . . . could it?

It took Aegnor several moments to realize that the conversation had ceased and now all three women were looking up at him expectantly.

"Ah, yes . . . what?"

A collective subliminal eye roll seemed to emanate from the three women.

"I said I am sure you would agree with me on this matter yes?" said Darshna.

The air seemed to become perilous to Aegnor.

"Yes? Yes. Of course," he agreed warily.

This caused Ms. Macey to make a tsk sound as she moved her arms across her chest and her weight shifted to one hip. Andreth – no, Andera – no, Ms. Bealor, set down the loupe and leveled a look at him.

Once again he forgot to breathe.

"I disagree. You don't really think that what you have here is nothing more than pure profit do you?"

Aegnor blinked. "What?"

"I mean, you can see that you have something of some historical significance here right? I seriously doubt you would have picked them up otherwise."

Aegnor blinked.

"Well, I-"

"And you don't really want to just cash this in without finding out just what they are before selling them off to the highest bidder right? Given that they aren't stolen of course -"

"Wait -"

"- and that we can't authenticate that these are real are you aren't just trying to scam people. These are or could be truly rare pieces of history. From a time that many know little about."

"Ms. Bea-"

"They need to be photographed -"

"Ms. -"

" – cataloged -"

" Andr- "

"and preserved for future -"

"Andreth!"

The young woman who looked and sounded and argued like Andreth stopped talking.

"Andrea," she said.

"What?"

"My name is Andrea."

"Ah, yes, of course. Forgive me. I . . . I just . . . Andrea." The name sounded strange to his ears. No her name was not Andrea, not for him. But then, her name was not Andreth either. "Of course we will do these things. And of course you may feel free to authenticate and record whatever you wish, for I will not allow anyone to accuse me of petty theft." This was true. He was gathering his senses again and for anyone to even suggest that he would have or could have stolen anything caused him to bristle.

Hazel eyes considered him only for a moment. For Aegnor, it seemed like an eternity.

"Cool. Can I take these with me?"

"Most certainly not!" Darshna exclaimed indignantly. "You may do what you need right here from my shop, under my supervision. Who are you to think we would trust you to take care of them? Or return them for that matter!"

Ms. Macey turned around. "Excuse me?!"

"Fine," said Andrea.

Ms. Macey turned around again. "Excuse me?"

Andrea shrugged. "It's fine. We can come back here as long as you leave me alone to do what I need to do."

"I will do no such thing in my own shop you have anotherthingcomingifyouthinkthatyoucanjust -"

Aegnor fought back the pounding in his chest and decided to diffuse the situation.

"That will be fine Darshna. I will supervise. I do not mind. In fact I insist."

Hazel eyes considered him once more.

"Okay then. We can come back on Wednesday maybe, after closing?"

Aegnor looked to Darshna, gave a huff and a nod. Aegnor smiled and extended his hand to her.

"I will see you then."

The corner of Andrea's mouth twitched in what Aegnor thought was amusement before she reached out to take his hand. But when she did it was like a lightening bolt through Aegnor's very being and he thought his fëa would leap from his chest. For a brief moment Aegnor thought that she had given pause, that perhaps she had felt it as well. But then she pulled her hand from his, leaving him feeling empty and alone.

"Yeah okay. See you then." And then she turned and left and Aegnor's world suddenly seemed very fragile.

* * *

><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

_Re-embodiment, Aikanáro thought. Life again. But what sort of life could he have? What could he hope to accomplish now? Was not all lost? She was gone. Forever. He had turned away from that path, never to know joy again. What would be the point of returning?_

_There was a time when he used to have a purpose._

_There was a time when he used to have a voice._

_It will be harsh. He will be vulnerable. He will feel. There will be pain out there. There is no pain here._

_But there is also no love._

_**You will not be able to return to Aman Aikanáro. **__The air swirled and two green eyes formed in front of him. __**You must remain till your life if taken or till you fade.**_

"_There is nothing in Aman for me."_

_The eyes gave him a slow blink. _

"_I accept."_

_The air swirled once more as the eyes dissipated and he found himself moving down a great hall and towards a bright light._

"_Why do you bring this to me?" he called out. "Why am I made this offer?" _

_**It was made to all who dwell here**__, the voice answered, __**save one**__._

_And with that, Ambaráto Aikanáro, Aegnor the sharp flame, the fourth son of Finarfin and Eäwen stepped out into the light and was reborn._


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing. Reviews welcome.**

* * *

><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

5:30 am.

The alarm goes off.

A hand slowly snakes out from under a mound of blankets and struggles as it seeks out the source, knocking over several small items in the process. After several slapping attempts, success is finally achieved and silences falls once more as the hand slowly withdraws back into its cocoon.

She has time to lay just a few moments longer. She was so sleepy.

6:00 am.

The alarm goes off.

The hand comes out from beneath the shadows like a shot in the dark. Striking its target with all the precision of a heat seeking missile. Silence is swift.

_Just a few moments longer_ she thinks, _blankets so soft_. That was like what, two seconds maybe?

6:15 am.

The alarm goes off.

This time the alarm is taken to the floor with the force of the hand's rebuke. It kind of had it coming really. What with the level of rudeness it kept shouting at her.

7:25 am.

The sun light is peaking through the window next to her bed, coming across her pillow. Her arms reach out in a slow stretch as she rolls over onto her back. She rubs at her eyes and looks to her alarm clock. Wait . . . where the hell is it? She sits up slightly and looks around its' usual place next to her bed, finally finding it on the floor. She reaches down and looks at it. 7:27 am. 7:27 am? 7:27 am!

_Shit!_

She leaps out of the bed only to fall to the floor due to her feet becoming tangled with in the sheets. _Fuck! _She halfway crawls for a moment as she continues to propel her body forward towards the bathroom. No time to shower. She has to get to class by 8:00 am. Dr. Rainey's class too. Damn. She is not going to make it and this will be her third tardy. What the hell happened to the goddamn alarm clock?! Why the hell was it on the floor?!

_Shit shit shit!_

She stumbles into the bathroom stubbing her toe in the process, causing her to smack her knee on the sink when she jerked her leg up instinctively from the shooting pain. She plops down on the toilet squeezing her knee and toe simultaneously. After a few seconds she collects herself and stands up carefully. There is no time for a shower, but that really did not matter at this point. She was wide awake now. She quickly pulls her hair into a ponytail and swipes on some deodorant. She steps out of the bathroom and grabs some pants from the floor of her room and slips on a bra. Her shirt wasn't that dirty, she only slept in it.

She is able to move around her room in single steps due to the small size. She was pretty sure it used to be a closet but was listed as a room so the small 900 sq ft apartment could be considered two bedroom. Oh well, it did the trick. It was one of the many student housing co-ops offered by the school and a convenient and affordable way to live in the city and so close to campus.

She rushes into the kitchen/living area to see her roommate pouring a cup of coffee. She shouts a warning.

"What are you doing?! We have to go! I am not waiting for you!"

Kate just stares at her.

Whatever. She ran back in to her room and grabs her bag, shoving papers into it and shouting over her shoulder at her roommate.

"Just throw something on. We will get there faster if we just walk." Walk? Run is more like it.

"You should be okay but this will be my third late and he won't let me in the class. Where the hell are my keys?" She looked frantically around the room.

"Andrea," said Kate.

"Are they in there? It's cool outside right?"

"Andrea," Kate said again.

"Where are my keys! Screw it. You have yours right? Let's go." Kate does not move.

"Why the hell are you just sitting there?! What?! . . . Wait . . ." she gave her roommate a suspicious look, "did you do something to the clocks?"

Kate looked at her over her cup. Andrea's shoulders slumped a little.

"It's Sunday isn't it."

Kate sipped silently at her coffee. Andrea's shoulders slumped more and her head dropped back so that she looked up at the ceiling.

"It is Sunday isn't it."

"Yyyyyup," answered Kate. Andrea dropped her bag to the floor and her arms hung loosely at her sides as she continued to look up at the ceiling. She gave a long sigh of frustrated defeat. Sunday. No class on Sunday, what with it being the weekend and all. Which was why they were meeting the shop keeper in Soho this morning. Kate would often go to that little shop to date some of the items for the owner, to let her know what was worth something and what was not. It was just a little side job for her and a way to get some experience for a possible position at an auction house or museum and credits for her doctorate. She had asked Andrea if she would come with her this morning because of some pieces that she was unsure of. Andrea was working on finishing up her masters at Columbia for history and anthropology and was looking to apply for the doctorate program herself. She had agreed to go out of curiosity. Kate promised an amazing find and a chance to make a little extra cash. And since it was Sunday, and there are no classes on Sunday, she figured why not. Besides, a little extra cash never hurt.

"How long were you going to let me run around like that?"

"I wasn't going to let you leave," Kate said sweetly.

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"Why won't you buy a calendar?"

Andrea met her roommate's innocent gaze with a flat look.

"I hate you," she said.

"I know," her roommate answered.

She dropped her head down and rubbed her eyes as she slowly trudged back into her room. The adrenaline rush that had her moving earlier was spent and her energy was rapidly draining away along with her motivation. She fell on her back on the bed and listened as Kate shuffled around the tiny kitchen, refilling her cup.

"Look on the bright side," Kate called out, "you have time to take a shower now."

She considered coming back with her own witty and slightly vulgar retort but decided that expending the energy was just not worth it. Besides Kate was right, she did have time to take a shower.

She stood in the shower and let the hot water run down her body, taking away the chill in her bones. The small apartment the two girls rented always seemed to be ten degrees colder or hotter than what it was outside, depending on the season. Still, it was five minutes from campus and affordable with a roommate. She could layer up.

She sighed as the steam rose up around her. She suddenly felt very tired. She had to start going to bed sooner. The later she stayed up the harder it was to get going in the morning. Perhaps she should try placing the alarm clock across the room. This way she would actually have to get out of bed to shut it off. She doubted it would help. She could not even keep up with the days of the week any more. She had to come up with something though. This was becoming a frequent occurrence. Even on the nights she would get to bed at a reasonable hour, she would still wake the next morning feeling sluggish and worn, as if she had been up all night. She was not sure why. Kate would tell her that she talked in her sleep a lot. Maybe it was some strange dreams. But Andrea could never remember just what she was dreaming about when she would wake, and besides, dreams could not be what was making her lose sleep. You had to be asleep to dream in the first place. And so Andrea chalked it up to stress and her class load and kept on pushing through.

The hot water began to go, so she pulled herself from her thoughts and finished washing up. Andrea tried to ease her guilt about using all of the hot water with the thought that Kate had it coming by letting her panic this morning the way she did. But it did not really work and she made the mental note to tell her.

As she wrapped her hair in a towel and slipped on her robe she heard voices coming from the kitchen. Andrea made a face. Gabe . . . ugh. Gabriel, or Gabe as he liked to be called, was Kate's reoccurring love. Tall, dark, handsome and dumb as a box of rocks. Wait, that wasn't being fair to the rocks. Needless to say Andrea did not like him. It was not because he was dumb (maybe a little) but because they were just so wrong for each other. And just when Andrea thought that Kate had finally moved on he would always come leaching around again. Crashing at their apartment, eating their food, spending Kate's money.

Plus he always called her Andy. She hated that. He would call Kate Katie as well, but that was for Kate to deal with. Andrea hated cutesy poo little names that ended with ie or y. It drove her nuts to be called that. And she was pretty sure he knew. In fact she was positive he knew. Prick.

She made the quick dash from the bathroom to her room (which only consisted of a little jump) and shut the door. Maybe if she took long enough he would be gone by the time she was dressed.

Her morning routine was rather simplistic. A pair of jeans, a plain v-neck shirt and her boots. She rarely wore makeup and normally just pulled her hair back at the nape of her neck in a bun or ponytail. Today she would leave it loose. It was long and kind of thick and would take a while drying. She hated the blow dryer. She always had to unplug something else to run it. She gave herself a quick once over in the mirror.

She was not a plain girl. She had her fair share of random boyfriends and so on. And it wasn't that she was not interested, she just did not have the time. Or did not make the time, at least according to Kate anyway. Her roommate was always telling her how she wished she had Andrea's eyes or hair or pant size. Which Andrea did not understand because Kate was beautiful. But she supposed they all had their own insecurities to deal with. Kate dealt with hers by dating all the wrong men, Andrea dealt with hers by avoiding them.

Andrea straightened out the contents of her bag which were in quite the disarray due to her haste earlier. She grabbed her light cargo jacket and walked out of her room and into the kitchen.

Only to see that son of a bitch Gabe eating a bowl of her cereal.

"Andy!" he shouted through a mouthful of food.

_Ass_, she thought to herself.

"Gabe," she answered out loud while grabbing a mug and pouring some coffee. She then went to the fridge only to find the milk was gone. She stared into the fridge and squeezed the mug in her hand and listened to jerk boy behind her smack on her cereal that was swimming in the last of the milk.

"Ready?" Kate asked as she walked into the room.

"Yeah, let's go. I need coffee."

"I made a pot. We'll be back in a bit babe, are you going to stay?"

Gabe never turned around. "Maybe, gonna take a shower."

"Alright," Kate leaned over him and gave him a kiss. Andrea swallowed the bile in the back of her throat. She almost said that there was no hot water but she knew that when they got back those dishes he used would be just sitting on the counter so she said nothing. Let him find out on his own.

"I'll meet you downstairs," she called over her shoulder as she walked into the hall. If she looked at him any longer she would say something she would regret. No, that was a lie, she would not regret it at all. But it would cause drama for sure.

Kate was at her side before she got to the stairs.

They did not really say anything till they were seated on the subway. Andrea pulled out her phone and began to scroll.

"So," said Kate as she began to look at her phone.

"So," said Andrea without looking up.

"Soooo . . . ."

"Soooooo?"

"Oh, please don't be mad! It's just for one night. I ran into him while we were out and he had too much to drink and he couldn't afford a cab and it's not my fault he dicknatized me!"

Andrea had simply continued to look at her phone as her friend spoke but when Kate got to the part about the penile hypnosis she gave and exasperated laugh.

"Oh my God Kate."

"I know! I know! I am a horrible person!" Kate looked at her with big puppy dog eyes. "I will buy you some more cereal I swear."

Andrea looked at her friend for a moment before turning back to her phone with a shake of her head.

"Whatever."

Kate relaxed back in her seat. "He really is not so bad you know. If you would just give him a chance you would see that he is nice. He has some cute friends too. You should really consider coming out with us sometime. I don't know why you -"

Her friend went on about the pros of Gabe and his friends and the cons of Andrea abstaining from men for so long. Of course for Kate anything longer than a week is too long. Andrea could not figure out how Kate got any of her course work done with the amount of partying she liked to do. But somehow she always found away. That may be why Andrea liked her so much. Kate did not have a problem working her ass off to get where she wanted to go. Unlike Andrea, Kate's family did not help her at all with her school. Everything she did, she did on her own. This had always impressed Andrea.

Andrea on the other hand came from a very well off back ground. Her mother had passed away when she was young, leaving her father to raise her, her older brother and younger sister on his own. But they never wanted for anything. They went to some of the best schools upstate. Her sister was just about to graduate while her brother was working in her father's law office. Her father had hoped that Andrea would follow a career in law as well but was still supportive when she chose history and anthropology, bragging that he would have a daughter with a doctorate teaching at Harvard or Princeton soon enough. Andrea was lucky to have the family support that she did, she knew this.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Kate tugged at her arm. She stood up and they pushed their way off the train. They had taken the #1 down to the Houston Str stop and would walk over to Downing from there. Kate talked about the shop and the owner as they walked. It turned out that the shop owner, Mrs. Patel, did not actually own the pieces they would be looking at but was more of an intermediary for the man who did. Kate had never met him but she had been called in to look at some of his stuff before to give Mrs. Patel and idea of their worth.

Andrea never liked this kind of thing. She likened people like this to historical mercenaries. Holding priceless pieces of history hostage and dolling them out to the highest bidder. If these items were anything like what Kate described they not belong tucked away in some rich jerk's private collection but in a museum, to be admired in a museum. These were stories, valuable lessons from the past meant to be valued and learned from. Not horded and sold and bartered on the market after being pilfered from a dig somewhere.

The came upon the shop and a little woman met them at the door. She seemed friendly enough and greeted Kate warmly. As they made their way through to the back of the shop Kate leaned in to whisper in Andrea's ear.

"Don't let her fool you. She is nice until you start to talk money and then it is on."

They came up to a table that had several items laid out. Andrea suddenly started to become a little excited.

"See?" said Kate. "I told you. I don't know who this guy is or where he gets this stuff but some of it is just amazing!"

Kate went on about some of the finer pieces, some of the jewels and the jade combs but Andrea's eyes were pulled to some of the glass and quartz seals and amulets on the table. They were different themes with the spectrum ranging from geometric ornaments and astral symbols to elaborate depictions of animals and people. Some displayed praying men in front of divine symbols. Others had a hero fighting animals and hybrid creatures. They had to date to early 7th and 4th centuries BC. They were amazing. Andrea found herself digging through her bag for the jewelers loupe she carried to study them more closely.

Somewhere in the background of Andrea's mind she could still hear Kate talking. There were some sort of introductions going on but she could have cared less. Pieces like this were beyond rare. Andrea thought they may have been found in Turkey but she could not be sure. To put a price on them would be an insult for they were priceless as far as she was concerned. This was a thesis paper waiting to happen.

A stinging pain to her leg caused her to jump and she straightened up quickly and gave Kate a frustrated look.

"Hey! Yes! Hello. Nice to meet you." She spared a quick glance to the person she was being introduced to and then turned her attention back to the table and picked up a gold coin that had to be either Alexander or his father. She could have studied them all day if not for Kate and Mrs. Patel.

"No no no," Mrs. Patel was waving her hands and shaking her head, "that is not your concern. You simply do what you have been asked to do."

"But Mrs. Patel," Kate insisted, "you don't know what you have here. It is not that easy. You can't just put a price on this."

"Yes you can. You have done it before. You can do it again. This time is no different."

Andrea watched as Kate became more frustrated and felt herself becoming annoyed as well.

"Mrs. Patel," Andrea said carefully, maybe if she spoke slow, "what you have here could be very significant. This needs to be studied and -"

"So study," Mrs. Patel interrupted, "and then tell me the value."

Andrea concentrated on controlling her breathing.

"If you would just talk to the owner of these pieces I am sure he would understand my concern."

"Mr. Aeluin and I have spoken Ms. Bealor, extensively on the topic. And I can assure you that he agrees with me. Don't you Mr. Aeluin?"

Andrea turned to look at the man Mrs. Patel had been referring too and found him staring back at her.

"Ah, yes . . . what?" he stuttered.

Andrea fought the urge to roll her eyes at him as Mrs. Patel repeated her question.

"I said I am sure you would agree with me on this matter yes?"

"Yes? Yes. Of course," he agreed warily.

Kate took on her pouty stance that she does when a cute man does not do what she wants. Andrea just got pissed and she did not care if it came through in her tone.

"I disagree. You don't really think that what you have here is nothing more than pure profit do you?"

Mr. Aeluin blinked at her. "What?"

"I mean, you can see that you have something of some historical significance here right? I seriously doubt you would have picked them up otherwise."

He blinked again. "Well, I-"

"And you don't really want to just cash this in without finding out just what they are before selling them off to the highest bidder right? Given that they aren't stolen of course -"

"Wait -"

"- and that we can't authenticate that these are real are you aren't just trying to scam people. These are or could be truly rare pieces of history. From a time that many know little about."

"Ms. Bea-"

"They need to be photographed -"

"Ms. -"

" – cataloged -"

" Andr- "

"and preserved for future -"

"Andreth!"

Andrea stopped and stared at the man before her. What had he called her?

"Andrea," she said.

"What?"

"My name is Andrea."

"Ah, yes, of course. Forgive me. I . . . I just . . . Andrea. Of course we will do these things. And of course you may feel free to authenticate and record whatever you wish, for I will not allow anyone to accuse me of petty theft."

Andrea considered him for a moment. She had touched a nerve there, with her accusations. She thought it best not to push him any further otherwise he might take the pieces away and get someone else.

"Cool. Can I take these with me?"

"Most certainly not!" Mrs. Patel exclaimed. "You may do what you need right here from my shop, under my supervision. Who are you to think we would trust you to take care of them? Or return them for that matter!"

"Excuse me?!" Kate shot at Mrs. Patel with an indignant tone.

"Fine," said Andrea.

"Excuse me?" Kate shot at Andrea with a slightly shocked tone.

Andrea simply shrugged. "It's fine. We can come back here as long as you leave me alone to do what I need to do."

"I will do no such thing in my own shop you have anotherthingcomingifyouthinkthatyoucanjust -"

Andrea thought for sure that this was it. They were going to be thrown out for sure but then Mr. Aeluin stepped in and shut the situation down.

"That will be fine Darshna. I will supervise. I do not mind. In fact I insist."

Andrea considered him once more.

"Okay then. We can come back on Wednesday maybe, after closing?"

He looked to Mrs. Patel for approval and she gave it albeit somewhat reluctantly. He then turned back to Andrea and smiled, extending his hand to her.

"I will see you then."

Andrea almost laughed at his formality. Whatever Mr. Manners, she thought dismissively and reached out to take his hand, finding herself unprepared when she did.

His hand touched hers and her surroundings seemed to lurch, as if her mind suddenly spun and she found herself feeling dizzy as something within her clicked. She snatched her hand back, not wanting to fall over and embarrass herself in front of everyone.

"Yeah okay," she said, "see you then." She turned and headed quickly for the door, Kate scurrying to keep up behind her.

They talked about the pieces as they walked to the train. Kate thought one could date back pre-Iron age and another could be Babylonian. Andrea agreed and thought many could be even older. It was not till they were on the train and seated that Kate brought up the very tall blonde elephant in the room.

"Holy shitballs he was hot."

Andrea huffed out an unimpressed laugh.

"Oh don't even pretend that you didn't notice! That guy was drop your panties on the floor gorgeous and you can NOT deny that."

This time Andrea did laugh. "I am not denying anything. You are right, he is very good looking. I don't know about drop my pants good looking, but still very good looking."

"So you are saying that you are not interested in him," Kate said, somewhat disbelieving.

"Nope."

'Nope you are not interested in him or nope you are not saying that you aren't?"

"I am not interested Kate. I am only interested in his artifacts."

"Yeah, me too," said Kate, leaving no question as to which of his artifacts she was talking about. Andrea just shook her head.

"Jeez Kate, Gabe isn't even out of the door yet."

"Oh yeah, Gabe," she replied absently. Andrea almost felt sorry for him.

The feeling was fleeting though because when they got home the dishes were left on the counter, a trail of water had been dripped in the hallway and dirty towel discarded on the floor in front of her room. Andrea decided to let Kate clean up after her stray and kicked the towel out of her way as she flopped down on her bed.

Andrea felt excitement about the items they had seen today. This could be quite a find and could very well be the topic she needed for application thesis for her doctorate. She really hoped they were not stolen, although she did not think he had. It was not in his nature to steal. Just how she knew that she had no idea, but she did know it. Maybe she had met him before. If he is really such a big collector as Kate has said, they may have run into each other before at some site or conference. That must be it. Just some passing acquaintance is all. That was why he called her that name as if he knew her. What had he called her? What was it? She struggled to remember.

_Andreth_.

Yes, that was it. Some strange obscure name that he thought he had heard in passing.

But then why did it sound so familiar?

_Enough_, she thought, _time to get to work. You have a paper due in two weeks and a quiz Friday. Get to work._

Andrea got up, shrugged of her coat and pulled out her work, pushing the thoughts of Mr. Aeluin out of her mind and tried not to think about Wednesday, to little success.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! Feel free to give more!**

**I own nothing.**

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><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

_Aikanáro reigned in his horse to a stop once they crested the hill and waited as his brother rode up beside him. He arched an eyebrow as Angaráto's horse snorted and shook its head as if in a huff._

"_You know," said Angaráto, a bit in a huff himself, "it does not count when you take off without warning like that."_

"_And just what are you implying?" asked Aikanáro with mock indignation._

"_Play fair and I would not have to imply anything," answered Angaráto with honest annoyance._

_Aikanáro chuckled as he looked down at the sprawling settlement before them._

"_Who are we meeting this day?"_

"_Ah, Boron I believe, and his kin."_

_Boron, grandson to Bëor, Findaráto's mortal friend, thought Aikanáro. It seems the torch has been passed._

"_Is Ingoldo already here?"_

_Angaráto made a tsk sound. "Yes _Aegnor_, _Finrod_ is already here."_

_Aikanáro did not miss how Angaráto stressed the names. _

"_Come now, you are not going to look to cause trouble are you?"_

_Aikanáro sighed and gave his brother a sideways glance. He loved his brothers dearly and would follow them into the black of the void itself, and indeed he may already have. But he could not help but be annoyed with them at times. What with their incessant need for formality and daily affirmations from their great-uncle. He did not understand the need. Their names were not even Noldorin they were Telerin in form. But anything remotely resembling Quenya had been banned and he and the rest of his family had respectfully acquiesced to keep the peace. Findaráto was quite fond of this tribe of Men and causing strife by trying to annoy his brothers by calling them by their epessë or speaking in a forbidden tongue would not be very appropriate nor appreciated. _

_No, it would do no good to aggravate them, which was unfortunate since there would not be much to do period. Whatever kind of trouble his brother thought he would be looking for here was beyond him. _

"_No Angrod, if there is trouble to be found, it shall not be found by me."_

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><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

The sun's bright morning light began to break through the cold gray of morning, his skin as it rays shone through the window where he stood, staring down at the street. Life was beginning to buzz below. Men and women starting their morning commute. Traffic began to move and pick up, the rumble of cars and trucks increasing as more and more began to wake and settle in the familiar rhythm of routine. It was the one thing about Men that never seemed to change. Their need in their minds for purpose, for the routine and their strange resistance to change countered by their need for progress. And progress always brought about change.

Normally Aegnor was amused by this. Under normal circumstances, Aegnor would watch the small theatre unfold below and chuckle at how flustered the players would become if something shook up the routine, staggering the rhythm. Their frustration would come off in waves at any delay or change as they made their way to their destination. And oh how they hated delays.

Perhaps if they had not been so preoccupied with their own self perceived importance they would have taken the time to observe their surroundings. Perhaps they would have taken the time to notice that the figure in the fourth story window in the large apartment in King Street had not moved in three days. But then perhaps they did notice and took it for some mannequin or a play of shadows on the window from the sun, because certainly no human being could stand for three days, stock-still and motionless, frozen in place.

And they would be right. No human being could.

For three days he stood there looking out the window. For three days he stood inert, transfixed by what had transpired in that little shop. For three days hazel eyes haunted him, staring back at him in the reflection of the window. Was this some torment from the Valar? Some delay in punishment for his arrogance all those ages ago? Had she been sent back to remind of all that had been lost and all he could never have? And why now? Why here?

But then again, was it even truly her? Yes, she had Andreth's face and eyes, yes it was as if she had stepped out of some long lost dream, but this was not Andreth. At least not his Andreth. This was a mortal woman called Andrea. A student of anthropology and history. A young woman of this age and not from the past.

Or is she? Could she be some reincarnation of Andreth? Were there not ancient religions devoted to such beliefs? No one, not even Mandos knew what happened to a human soul once it left the halls, if they even came to his halls in the first place. Could their souls be re-embodied, recycled to walk the earth again and again for some higher purpose? Perhaps her soul had been walking alongside him all throughout the ages and he had never known. Reborn into some other body and life till she had finally come across him again, drawn together once more by fate? In that moment when he touched her hand he could have sworn he saw . . . something!

Not that it changed anything. She was still of Men and he Eldar. She would age and die while he remained.

Yes, this was most definitely some torment sent by the Valar.

And it changed nothing.

Aegnor snapped back to life and in what seemed like one smooth motion he grabbed a coat and snatched up his keys. Three days had passed and Wednesday was here. He left his apartment and walked brusquely down the street.

* * *

><p>Andrea sat on the train and flipped through phone. She had her earbuds in but was not listening to any music. She just put on the appearance that she was to avoid unwanted conversation. She was not normally such an introvert but you never who you were going to meet on the train. She was too tired and way too irritated to be polite today anyway.<p>

Kate had bailed on her at the last minute. At least according to Andrea she did. Kate on the other hand insisted that she was coming, just that she was going to be a little late and while Kate never gave Andrea a reason why, Andrea knew. Gabe, yet again. Andrea just could not understand what the allure was. Kate is so bright and smart and just has so many things going for her, Andrea could not understand why she would screw all that up for some meaningless moments with someone who had no real appreciation for her at all. Needless to say that Andrea did not hide her irritation with her roommate. This was her gig after all, Andrea was just helping her out. She should not even be here honestly. She had a paper due on Friday along with a dissertation to finish. She should be home studying. Damn Kate and her _peni_ obsession. She refused to put the s at the end when referring to Gabe due to the fact that she did not believe his _peni_ warranted the full word.

But while it was easy to blame Gabe, it was really Kate she was upset with. Andrea hoped she would hurry up and get her priorities straight.

Andrea stood up as she heard Houston Street call over the speaker and made her way off the train. The sun was starting to set by the time she reached the little shop. She knocked as she slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" she called out. It was not dark inside but the light was dim and coming from the back. The owner Mrs. Patel was obviously closing up and must be in the back somewhere. Andrea closed the door behind her and continued inside.

"Helloooo, Mrs. Patel?"

Still no answer. Andrea wondered if Mrs. Patel would even be here. Didn't the norse god say he was going to come and babysit?

"Mr. Aeluin?"

Still no answer. Andrea stamped down the little flicker of disappointment in the back of her mind with an irritated eye roll. She did not give a damn who was here because she was here for the items, not him.

And yet, she could not help but notice how her thoughts had turned to him a quite a few times lately. It was getting embarrassing. Andrea tried to chalk it up to fact that she was sure she had met him or seen him somewhere before. Most likely a magazine cover or something. She found herself wanting to dislike him out of principle. She would get more done without him around anyway.

Andrea came up on the table in the back with several items laid out on it. A large lamp lit the table and couple more cast a dim light from behind. There was a large magnifying glass and some gloves set on the table. Andrea walked up and rested her hands on the table as she chewed on her lip absentmindedly and smiled down at the items. Yes this was why she was here after all. She pulled the gloves on and got to work.

* * *

><p>Aegnor watched the young woman from the shadows. She never saw him as she entered the shop and went to the table. He was just some other obscure object lining the store and he was very good at blending into the shadows and right now he was as far back as he could get. His back against the wall, he watched her as she gazed down at the table, chewing at her lip and every so often tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He thought his heart would seize in his chest. The back of his head pressed against the wall as he tore his eyes away from her to look up at the ceiling. He squeezed them shut as he took in a slow breath.<p>

Yes this was undoubtedly some torment sent by the Valar.

She was Andreth in every way. From the way she immersed herself in the artifacts to the arch of her brow and curve of her lips. It was as if his stomach had folded in on itself as his blood rushed to his face, causing it to feel as if it burned. _Pull it together damn you_, he hissed at himself. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his side as the old pain threatened to pull him under again. _She only looks like Andreth is all! She is not her, not Andreth! Not your Andreth! Her name is Andrea damn you!_ He focused on his breathing and fought the tide of emotion that threatened to drown him.

Once his had regained some semblance of control he looked back to the table and the young women sitting there. Andrea was picking up pieces and taking pictures and notes on each with her ipad and phone. She muttered under breath about a particular piece and Aegnor realized she was uncertain of its origins. Aegnor exhaled slowly and stepped out of the shadows.

"Turkey."

To say he may have startled her would be a bit of an understatement. Andrea shot back from the table with a gasp, knocking over one of the lamps as she did. Aegnor moves swiftly to catch the item she had been holding before it hit the ground, the lamp though was not so lucky. It fell to the floor with a crash and Andrea gave a little yelp and jumped again. Aegnor could not help but feel guilty while Andrea felt furious.

"What is wrong with you?!" she shouted at him in flustered indignation. "You scare the holy shit out of me!"

"Forgive me I -"

"What, were you hiding back there or something?!"

"No, of course not. I -"

"What the hell man! I mean really!"

"Please, I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. Please."

Hazel eyes studied him and Aegnor found himself fighting for control once more.

"Whatever," Andrea said with a shrug and a shake of her head. "You didn't frighten me. I mean, you frightened me but didn't scare me you just, I mean I wasn't looking and, well, I mean . . . just whatever."

Aegnor watcher her now as she turned towards the floor and looked at the broken lamp in dismay.

"Ugh, that lady is going to kill me." She squatted down and began to collect the pieces of broken glass. "She will totally make me pay for this." Aegnor knelt down next to her.

"No, do not concern yourself with that, I will take care of it. I will compensate Mrs. Patel for the lamp as well."

Andrea gave him a sharp look.

"I can pay for it," she snapped, "just not today."

Aegnor suddenly felt as if he were walking a very treacherous line.

"Of course, I never meant -"

"It's not like I can't afford it."

"No, no, I simply -"

"It's just really expensive and I would never buy something like this."

"Yes I understand completely, ple-"

"So for you to imply that I can't afford it is just-"

"Miss Bealor please!"

That came out a little louder than Aegnor had intended, but it seemed to do the trick. Hazel eyes regarded him silently once more.

"Please," his said, his tone much softer this time around, "please, I never meant to imply anything. I was simply suggesting you let me handle this as I am far more accustomed to dealing with Darshna than you. And it was my fault anyway. Had I simply announced my presence then you would never had been startled in the first place and the lamp would still be here with us. Please, allow me to take care of this. Please. I really must insist."

Hazel eyes held his and it seemed to Aegnor that she stared into him. Does she know him at all? Could she know him at all?

"What did you say?"

Aegnor blinked. "I said to please allow me to -"

"No," she interrupted, "before that."

"I should have announced my presence?"

"No," she said again, a little exasperated this time, "before you jumped out of the dark."

"Ah," exclaimed Aegnor, "Turkey! I was saying that piece was from Turkey."

Aegnor went on to explain how the pieces came from the ancient city of Doliche, now the modern city of Dülük. He believed the pieces to be late Babylonian and Levantine. Andrea began to write information down and take more pictures while asking him a constant stream of questions at the same time.

The evening wore on like this and Aegnor found himself almost giddy at times. It was as if they were back in the library of Bëor the Old's great house, pouring over parchment after parchment and talking of the Valar and Eldar and the legacy of Men. They worked on well into the evening this way. Cataloging and discussing the various histories of the pieces. She seemed impressed with his knowledge of ancient history and Aegnor smiled at what he thought her reaction would be if he told her it was because he had been there. He would watch how she scrutinized each piece, pouring over them, dissecting his information and filling in the gaps. He could have easily lost himself, sitting there with her, it was as if he had been transported back in time and he found himself longing once more for the company of his brothers. He would have even settled for several of his cousins. But this moment right here was perfect, for in his heart he began to believe that on some level, she had begun to enjoy his company.

It was the string of swear words that pulled him from his reverie. It seemed that time did not stop for the hour had become late.

"I can't believe I did this damn it! And of course Kate never showed! Damn! It!" Andrea began to stuff her belongings into her bag furiously. "I am sorry but I have to go. I only have about three million things to finish before Friday and twice that much to get done by Monday. I can't believe how late it is. Time flies when you're having fun eh?"

"Yes," he said, "it was fun."

"I'm sorry Kate didn't make it. You shouldn't have to worry about paying her you know. She should have been here. I will start looking up the pieces we have and get back to Mrs. Patel about how much they are worth. Ugh, if I hurry I might be able to make the next train."

"Wait, no, let me get you a cab," Aegnor said as he turned off the lights and moved them towards the door. "We should be able to get one at the square. It is the least I can do for keeping you so late, when I am not terrifying you that is."

"Ha! Right?!" Andrea laughed. "A cab would be nice."

Aegnor smiled as he closed the door behind him and turned to lock it. "I insist."

"You do a lot of insisting. You must get your way a lot."

Aegnor paused for a moment. "Actually, no. I do not."

They walked in silence most of the way to Demo Square. She talked a little about her roommate and her lack of responsibility lately. Upon reaching the square Aegnor was able to flag down a cab relatively easily to his dismay. He opened the door for her to climb in. She paused before entering and turned to him.

"Do you have Mrs. Patel's information or do I just show up at the shop? I would call but I don't have her number. I guess I could look up the shop number though. I just thought that . . . I don't know, don't worry about it. Kate must have the info."

"Wait," he said, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder, "here." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a card and then grabbed a pen from the cab driver who was becoming annoyed. "This is my number. Just call me with when you find something. Or I could call you if you prefer?"

"Oh no this is fine. I will call you when I have something. Well, later."

He watched as she climbed in the cab and drove away.

* * *

><p><strong>~oOo~<strong>

_Aegnor stood a step behind Angrod as their eldest brother walked over to greet them. Aegnor could not help but grin as he watched him. His long fair hair flowing behind him and in his fine silk clothes he cut quite the impressive figure. And while he may seem very formal, Aegnor could tell he was relaxed and at ease here. Finrod enjoyed spending time within this House. He truly believed in the valor and future of Men. While Aegnor agreed with some of Finrod's views, he still did not believe that the race of Men were key to the future of this land. _

_After his brother finished greeting them, he turned and introduced their host and his family. Lord Boron was a large man even by Aegnor's standards. His wife, the lady Eirian in contrast was tiny and fair, a seemingly delicate wisp of a woman heavy with child with two more young children at her feet. _

_Aegnor could not help but be slightly annoyed at such impudent behavior. To bring children in to such dark times, to have ones family in harm's way, it was irresponsible and selfish to Aegnor. It was unacceptable._

_But, as Finrod had reminded him on many occasions, it was also no their customs. Men's lives were fleeting compared to theirs, and if they were to wait for times of peace then the race of Man would not survive. But no matter how many times Finrod would explain this, and he liked to explain things a lot, it was still something that Aegnor could simply not understand._

_He was greeted by his host graciously and thanked his hostess for her roof and board. As Angrod made his introductions Aegnor stepped aside to wait only to feel a small tug on his cloak. He looked down and saw one of the small children that had been at the lady Eirian's feet inspecting the embroidery on his cloak. Aegnor looked up and saw that the child's (a girl he believed) parents were still preoccupied with their guests. Aegnor looked back down at the small head at his feet._

"_Ahem," he cleared his throat gently. The little head at his feet continued her inspection of the cloak._

"_Ahem," he said again only slightly louder. _

_This time the little head looked up at him with bright and curious eyes and Aegnor could not help but be struck by the color. They were a shade he had not seen before and seemed to be a mix of every eye color imaginable. They were set into a little round face framed by dark blonde hair, or perhaps light brown hair, or maybe somewhere in between. She could not be any older than two maybe three seasons of the sun. The little face looked up at him and unflinchingly stared into his eyes. Aegnor was impressed, there were not many of her kind who could do such a thing for very long. _

_He knelt down in front of her, crouching so as to get as close to her level as he could. Her gaze never broke from his. Aegnor was very impressed._

_A little hand reached up and gently touched a lock of his hair and Aegnor watched as the child's bright gaze began to study the strands of hair in her hand. She was brave this one. Aegnor was curious to know what she thought but would never delve in to her mind uninvited, especially with one so young. Almost as if she could hear his thoughts her hand let go the lock of hair and she met his gaze once more._

"_You shine, like him," she said pointing to FInrod._

_Aegnor blinked and then smiled._

"_What is your name little one?"_

_But before she could answer her mother was there, sweeping her up and apologizing profusely._

"_Forgive me my lord, I hope she did not trouble you."_

"_No, no," soothed Aegnor, "she was no trouble, only curious."_

_The lady Eirian laughed. "Her curiosity will be the death of me I am afraid, for she has no fear."_

"_Traits that will serve her well I am sure. May I ask her name?"_

"_Yes of course, it is Andreth. Andreth, say hello to the lord Aegnor. He is a prince."_

_The child in the lady Eirian's arms said nothing, only laid her head on her mother's shoulder as she stared at him. Her mother laughed and shook her head._

"_Oh now she is shy! I am sure that will change soon enough. If you will excuse me my lord," the lady apologized once more. Aegnor bowed over her hand._

"_Of course my lady and thank you once again for you hospitality. Lady Andreth," he said with an incline of his head, "till we meet again."_

_The child said nothing as Aegnor turned to go but continued to stare at him, following him with bright eyes._


End file.
